[Discussion] The New Creep

[XSOLDIER]

The new appearance of the Creep. It's spectacular how it slides out along the ground when it's expanding which you can see briefly in a couple of the gameplay videos. That being said, it seems to bear too much resemblance to the Blight from WarCraft 3. I think that may be the result of the white-ish cracled lines running across it, combined with the fact that it looks extremely thin and flat. It's supposed to be a thick nutrient layer for the buildings, so it would be nice if it looked more thick- especially by giving it a shadow between that and the land that it's coating.

In addition to that, the buildings should look as though they're actually extending into the Creep and drawing nutrients out of it, rather than just a big tentacled building sitting on top of it flailing around. The vein coated look is gone, so some of the buildings seem a bit out of place. Some small veins and tentacles extending up from the creep onto the building would help it with depth as well, and help to make the Buildings look like they're a living part of the Creep itself rather than structures set atop them. I want to see the Building pulse as they draw the nutrients out from the Creep underneath them. Even something like a transparent layer around the base of the buildings that have little tentacles and veins rooting themselves into the Creep to make it all seem like a large fluid living organism.

Compare the color tones between the SC1 Creep and the buildings. Now look at the SC2 Creep and buildings. In SC2, the Creep is extremely dark which doesn't allow for shadowing on the texture, making it seem very flat. On top of that, the buildings are incredibly bright- even compared to the StarCraft 1 buildings, let alone the new Creep, which is why they seem so detached. There's no blend or anything, and that's what makes them look so odd. I'm sure with a few simple tweaks to the Zerg color palate on the buildings and Creep, it could be looking better in no time, without having to worry about adding anything drastic.



EXAMPLES OF THE CREEP IN SC2 GAMEPLAY (low quality video)

Video Link = http://www.gametrailers.com/player/u...es/187689.html

1:38 Shows the first Zerg building animation. You'll see several more through the course of the video. The animation itself is quite nice, and though the quality's low, the translucent film over the pulsing insides is fantastic, but it looks like it's flailing around a bit as the drone transforms, rather than sucking nutrition from the Creep to grow.

11:40 & 18:02 A very brief but clear look at the Creep extending with a superbly fluid animation. This is something that looks absolutely fantasic so far.


EXAMPLES OF STARCRAFT ARTWORK AND GAMEPLAY



StarCraft Art
- This shows a nice thick Creep that sprawls over everything, buildings with veins and tentacles sinking in and drawing nutrients from the Creep, and it crawling out and expanding.


StarCraft Original Gameplay
- This shows the appearance of the Original SC Creep. It's lighter, and more organic looking, and still feels really thick.


StarCraft Original Gameplay
- The dead buildings help show the they're part of the Creep, and dependant on it for survival, as well as add a feeling of depth.


StarCraft 2 Gameplay
- Here the Creep seems more flat, and it makes the buildings seem like they're sitting on top of something, rather than drawing nutrients out of a lair of thick organic material growing over the existing land.


Project Revolution Hatchery
- Though StarCraft 2 should DEFINITELY have new models rather than direct 3D ports, this is to give an idea of how the Original Zerg buildings feel when seen in 3D, A lot is due to angle differences, but the main difference is that they had a slightly darker tone and overall color palate, while keeping the slick organic sheen, and seemed to meet up with the creep rather than just sit a top of it.


Project Revolution Spawning Pool
- Another example on color tones, and how the Zerg Buildings have tentacles and veins that literally root them into the creep to keep them alive and functional. Not meant to be a replacement for the SC2 model, just an example of tone, color use, and appearance of the original model fleshed out in 3D.


Project Revolution Creep
- It's a direct port of the SC1 texture, just a comparison to see how it looks in a 3D engine. SC2 Creep should still be different, but hold to the same general feel of a thick organic substance that's nutritious to the Zerg, and allows the buildings to grow, and produce units, etc.




EXAMPLES OF "NATURAL CREEP"

2 images generally lending to the thick, living membrane appearance and how it looks in real life.







Last Updated 3 / 17 / 2008

X

[Psi Warp]

Well, its no wonder they do think that way XSOLDIER. The Creep is cracked, though in the appearance of an organic matter (squishiness). The extension is fantasic, but the Creep itself requires more depth and thickness to truely make it Alien, so to speak. Worst of all, the Creep's animation seems to cause it to appear translucent, as well as making it squirm in a liquid-like pattern.

It will be improved, and I have faith in Blizzard that they will make Protoss buildings materialize like the Stargate, instead of popping into existance.


-Psi

[KingKaramazov]

I'd have to be able to examine it more in motion (as it's expanding etc) to really say for sure.

It did look a little too blightish in the still screenshots. Definitely needs to be more purplish, like in the original. I know exactly what you mean but it needs to look more thick. It should look like a tangible layer of goo that the buildings are literally sunk into, not just a coating on the ground.

Also, as some people have suggested before, the creep should have some more interesting visual effects...for instance, instead of stopping next to the edge of a cliff / ramp, it should go all the way up to the edge of a cliff and maybe be hanging and dripping over the side, and it should definitely cover a ramp (unless for some reason that's an issue...obviously you shouldn't be able to make buildings on a ramp).

[countchocula86]

Cant speak for what it looks like in game, just screenshots, but it really does not look all that impressive to me. It does look blightish, or rather it looks like its dead and diseases, not rich with organic nutrients and materials.

[Psi Warp]

Well, well, Blizzard. What happened to this?



I Am Disappointed...


-Psi

[KingKaramazov]

That's exactly as it should look in game...flowing over everything with veins and tentacles hanging down over the sides.

Kind of like moss growing over everything and creating a thick carpet in a dense forest, only purple, alive, and slimy / squishy.

[DemolitionSquid]

Originally Posted by KingKaramazov

That's exactly as it should look in game...flowing over everything with veins and tentacles hanging down over the sides.

Kind of like moss growing over everything and creating a thick carpet in a dense forest, only purple, alive, and slimy / squishy.

Seconded.

Creep looks like blight, Corrupters look like Beholders...

This isn't WC in space. It's supposed to be much more sophisticated.

[iAm]

The way the hatcher/lair/or hive. Whichever it is should be how it looks in SC2

[XSOLDIER]

I think one of the other issues with is with the new Zerg buildings. They don't seem to sink into the Creep at all, They have tentacles, but they should appear to be feeding off of the creep underneath them. I think that would help add to the appearance of the Thickness that the Creep needs.. The buildings all have a slick... bloated appearance I think that kinda puts me off.. I dunno. I compare a lot to how Project Revolution pulled the Buildings out in 3D, since they really captured the feeling that the buildings should have in my mind (within the confines of the War 3 engine).

http://www.moddb.com/mods/3704/proje...chery#imagebox


X

[Psi Warp]

Originally Posted by XSOLDIER

I think one of the other issues with is with the new Zerg buildings. They don't seem to sink into the Creep at all, They have tentacles, but they should appear to be feeding off of the creep underneath them. I think that would help add to the appearance of the Thickness that the Creep needs..


X

Yes, the Buildings need to appear attached to the Creep, lore isn't everything you know.

And the Creep can be a few inches thicker than now... like a small platform of organics.


-Psi

[Zeitgeber]

Originally Posted by iAm

The way the hatcher/lair/or hive. Whichever it is should be how it looks in SC2

I'll second that, current hatchery looks like a pork bun.

[Psi Warp]

Originally Posted by Zeitgeber

Hatchery looks like a pork bun.

Seconded.


-Psi

[XSOLDIER]

First post updated with comparisons, and concerns. I'll try to keep this updated as more comes in.

Has anyone else seen the new zerg building animation?? It looks nice, but it doesn't look nearly as visceral, and organic as the original one.. The flailing tentacles are a bit pathetic compared to the pulsing vein coated mass from SC1 though the pulsing undermass looks nice.

X

[KingKaramazov]

It would be cool if the Zerg buildings had actual living tubes extending from them going down into the creep and you could actually see purple or green nutrient goo flowing through the tubes into the buildings, coming up from the creep -- kind of like transparent roots.

[Psi Warp]

Originally Posted by XSOLDIER

First post updated with comparisons, and concerns. I'll try to keep this updated as more comes in.

Has anyone else seen the new zerg building animation?? It looks nice, but it doesn't look nearly as visceral, and organic as the original one.. The flailing tentacles are a bit pathetic compared to the pulsing vein coated mass from SC1 though the pulsing undermass looks nice.

X

Indeed, they are going somewhere with the Spawning Pool veins, but failed at the Hatchery tentacles.

Look at the EatGod vs Kimcarry video, first match Protoss vs Zerg, the death animation of the Swarm Clutch was swell with blood and gore. The death animation of the Extractor was also great, very close to the orignal.

It would look even better with the Zerg buildings squirming around, like the Hatchery's mouth moving side to side, open and close...

Needs to feel more alive, literally.


-Psi